Happy Holidays, Horror Fans! It’s your old pal Skull here with a few ideas for your next reading experience. It’s almost Christmas and for many of us that means two more days of mindless panic. If you’ve waited this long to start shopping, you’re obviously not a big planner and that’s okay. But instead of getting your partner another fragrance gift set that they’re not going to use, why not give the gift of kickass independent horror? Not only will you be cooler than a Polar Bear, but you’ll also be helping authors and small presses who really need your support. Depending on your bookseller of choice, you can pick these titles up in store, get 2-day shipping, or easiest of all-purchase it for their Kindle or other e-reader.

If you like your horror mixed with humor, check out Blood & Swine by A.R. Yngvie. This entertaining book follows the adventures of Carl Olsen Krocek as he applies for and gets a middle management job with the huge multinational hog farm, Hogoration, Inc. This should be a good thing, but as Carl digs deeper into strange goings on at the factories, he comes to the grim realization that his boss might be a vampire. They also aren’t very good farmers. Your old pal Skull is currently reading this novel and I’ve laughed out loud at all the awkward moments and been scared when the big boss sticks his talons out. Will Carl succeed in making life better for the pigs and people at Hogoration, or will be the big boss’ next victim?

One of my favorite ways to enjoy horror is by reading anthologies of short works from different writers. I also dig collections by a single artist and The Vengeful Dead by John James Minster really delivers the goods. Inside you’ll find grave robbers on the run, a player who gets played but comes back for a grisly encore, a man who thinks he’s found a dream love only to realize too late that he’s trapped inside a nightmare, social media stars who go too far, and an executioner who gets to experience the misery wrought upon the people he was “helping” by tenfold. These very real feeling stories uphold the laws of physics and the supernatural. For every action, there is a reaction and when multiplied by dark forces beyond our understanding there’s going to be one hell of an aftershock. Should you get this terrifying collection? The Magic 8-Ball says YES.

My favorite book of 2023 is The Daughters of Block Island by Christa Carmen. It has a great storyline. strong characters, and unexpected twists around every corner that will keep you turning pages until well after midnight. You might be groggy in the morning, but the powerful conclusion that pulls the covers off centuries of evildoing against female inhabitants of Block Island is totally worth the price of the triple espresso shot you’ll need to function. I’m a big fan of Christa Carmen’s work and this novel is awesome! Highly recommended.

Last but not least, I’d like to mention The Growth and The Growth Lives! A two novella series by Adam Hulse. Something evil is travelling through every possible waterway in Great Britain. It’s not even safe to use the toilet because the growth can suck you down the pipes as it burns all the flesh off your body. The military is having zero success eradicating The Growth, but there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. Kevin and Tax are an unlikely duo. Tax the inevitable man is a brawny mob enforcer while Kevin is a computer nerd who often forgets to eat and couldn’t fight his way out of a wet paper bag. Despite all that, these dudes partner up for the common good and eventually become fast friends. There are many other subplots that make this series a cool read like the hate cult that forms to worship The Growth and an Olympic boxer searching for her missing girlfriend in a dystopian land. Both books focus on the power of love and question the powers that be. Can we really trust our government or the military as a whole, or does it come down to each individual’s moral code? Interesting, thought-provoking, and sometimes, pretty damn funny. Check this guy out!

Well, my fiendish friends, 2023 is rushing to an end. So, it’s likely that this will be the last post from your old pal Skull until the New Year. If that’s so, many thanks for reading my writings and let’s hope that 2024 will bring good things to us all. Until then, hug your babies whether they be fur, feather, or human, and love your partner. Share holiday warmth with your chosen family and enjoy the small acts of kindness during this time of year. Love is love, all colors are equal, and real bodies are beautiful. Don’t let the haters win.